Uncaged 2
by Gale Force
Summary: Slash fiction between Gil and Aaron Pratt from Season 2 episode Caged. Expanded from original version. Not too explicit. Reviews welcome.
1. Chapter 1

**UNCAGED**

**A slash fiction with Grissom and Aaron from the episode, Caged.**

**Sexual content, but not extremely explicit**

**I. The Denouement**

Gil Grissom stood in his office, watching Aaron Pratt nervously finger the little vials arranged on a tray on one of his bookshelves. He had asked Aaron to come there, so that he could explain to the young man the circumstances behind the death of the book restorer, Aaron's friend Veronica.

Gil had felt an affinity for the young man since they had first met. Aaron was a high-functioning autistic, with superior right brain ability. That meant that although he had difficulty in relating to other people, he was also extremely intelligent and could function in society.

And he liked Shakespeare.

"Veronica removed the original illustrations from the books and replaced them with forgeries," Gil told Aaron, who glanced at him briefly, then returned to straightening the vials, "Which she then left at your house, so that she could point the finger at you if it ever came to that. She never thought that you'd find out, but you did, and you told Mr. Hunter."

"All you have in this business is your reputation." said Aaron loudly...quoting the words Mr. Hunter had shouted at Veronica, while his restless fingers continued to straighten the little vials on the shelf.

Gil knew that Aaron was nervous, and that his straightening of the vials was displacement anxiety. So he continued on calmly, "So Veronica tried to save hers, but instead of killing Mr. Hunter, she ended up killing herself."

Aaron turned to glance at Gil, and as he did so his hand knocked some of the vials onto the floor. "Sorry," he said quickly, and bent to pick them up.

Gil smiled. "That's okay." He moved forward to help. Aaron laughed a bit, nervously, at Gil's closeness... was there a vibe there, Gil wondered?

Gil's hand brushed Aaron's as he placed two of the vials back on the tray. "I like order." he said, gently.

Aaron's eyes flashed to his, and then back down. His lips twitched into a smile. "Me, too." he said.

Aaron took a deep breath. "That's why I was scared," he said.

"Scared?" Gil asked gently.

"Of Veronica." Aaron said, hurt and bewilderment in his tone and in his eyes. "Of being in love. I was stupid, I thought she loved me." He blinked several times, then as always the classics came to the rescue: " 'Then must you speak of one that loved not wisely.'.."

"'But too well'." Gil finished for him.

"Othello, Act 5. Scene 2, Lines 343 and 344," said Aaron, staring at the vials under his fingers.

"But Othello killed Desdemona," Gil pointed out quietly.

"I didn't kill Veronica."

"No, you didn't." Gil smiled.

Aaron took a deep breath. His eyes skittered around the room, rested on Gil for a second, then flashed away again.

Gil felt a warm rush of affection for the boy. Not pity - pity wasn't part of the equation. Aaron had made a life for himself and was succeeding at it. But there were always Veronicas around...who would and could take advantage of the most knowledgeable man, as well as the most innocent. Had Aaron's trust in people and friendship been destroyed?

"Do you..." started Aaron... "Would you...like to see a movie... with me? I have ... Hamlet...on DVD...Kenneth Branagh. Derek Jacobi. Julie Christie."

Gil was pleased. "I would like that, " he said.

The young man was handsome (for all that he greased down his hair too much) with a wide, expressive mouth and melting brown eyes that would flash this way and that in a desperate attempt to not look into the eyes of another... There was a saying that the eyes were the windows of the soul...Aaron had vulnerable eyes...Gil wanted nothing more than for Aaron to be able to look him in the eyes...

Aaron smiled that brilliant smile of his, which came and went as suddenly as a silver fish breaking the surface of a pond and then disappearing.

"Tonight?" he said.

"I work nights," said Gil. "My day off isn't until this Saturday. May I come over on Saturday?"

"Yes," said Aaron, nodding. "Saturday. August 25. Six p.m."

"6 pm," Gil repeated. "May I bring dinner? I'll pick up some Thai food. Chicken with cashews?"

Aaron blinked several times, smiled that skittering smile. "Yes. I like Thai food. Pad Thai. Rice noodles pan fried with fish sauce, sugar...lime juice or tamarind pulp...chopped peanuts, and egg combined with ...chicken...seafood...or tofu."

Gil placed his hand on Aaron's arm, smiling. "Pad Thai," he said, "with chicken. I'll see you on Saturday, then."

Aaron nodded sharply, then turned and left the room. As he walked, Gil noticed that he held one hand over the spot where he, Gil, had touched his arm.

**II. Saturday the 25th**

At precisely 6 pm on Saturday, Gil knocked on the door of Aaron's apartment, and Aaron answered it promptly.

"Hello," said Aaron loudly.

"Hello," said Gil, with a smile. "Cashew chicken, and pad thai," he said, slightly lifting his arms to rustle the white bags carrying all the food.

Aaron stepped back, and Gil entered his apartment. He carried the food into the kitchen. "You have your own way of doing things, Aaron," he said. "Shall I let you prepare the food?"

"Yes, please. Sit in the living room. I will bring it out."

Gil walked into the living room. Instead of sitting down, he called, "May I look at your books?"

"Of course you may," said Aaron.

Gil had already had a good look at Aaron's books the last time he'd visited the apartment, when he and Nick Stokes had been investigating the death of Veronica Bradley. But then he'd been investigating a crime, now he could relax and just enjoy the feel of the books. Aaron's entire apartment was covered with bookcases...he clearly loved books. Well...that was to be expected...masters degree in library science, English degree from UNLV...

Aaron came into the room carrying a tray. On the tray was the food tastefully arranged on two plates, and two glasses of water. Calistoga water, bottled at the source. Aaron set out coasters for the glasses, placed silverware down precisely, and then set down the plates of food.

"Do you...want to... watch the movie while we... eat?" he asked.

"Yes," said Gil.

Aaron took up the remote, pointed it at the TV, and pressed the button. The credits for Kenneth Branagh's _Hamlet _began to unfold.

Gil picked up his silverware and began to eat.

They ate in silence, concentrating on the screen and the events unfolding there.

Gil found that he was very conscious of Aaron beside him... for all that he was all the way on the other side of the couch...conscious in a physical way that he'd never felt with a man before. And he was aware that Aaron was very conscious of _him_. But that was just perhaps because he wasn't used to having anyone else in his apartment except Veronica.

After they finished eating, Aaron promptly took the plates and silverware back into the kitchen. Then he returned and sat back on the couch...slightly closer to Gil than before.

As the movie continued, Gil noticed that Aaron was mouthing the words to himself. Of course, he knew every line in the movie.

Well, two could play at _that _game.

Hamlet spoke again. Then it was Rosencrantz's turn. Gil spoke his lines out loud, matching the inflections of the actor on the screen.

Aaron looked at him, grinning, and then when Hamlet spoke, Aaron spoke _his _dialog aloud.

They continued like that throughout the entire movie, alternating on the dialog. Once in a while Gil would get caught out, misrembering a line (well, not so much misremembering it as being caught out because the filmmakers had changed the lines from the source material, the bastards!) and would laugh and cover his face, and Aaron would smile also, once he realized Gil wasn't getting mad about forgetting, and they were having a fun time.

At the end, they both clapped their hands, both at the end of the movie and at the end of their own performances in it.

"That was fun," Aaron said happily. "I thought... only I could quote ...from the movies... like that."

"I've done it all my life," Gil said with a smile. "I wanted to be an actor when I was growing up, before I got into criminalistics."

"I wanted to be an actor, too," said Aaron. The two smiled at each other...then a look of panic skittered over Aaron's face and he looked away...turned away, getting up off the couch to do so, raising his hands to wipe them on his vest as if they'd grown suddenly sweaty.

Gil started to extend a hand to stop him, then stopped, lowered it.

What was he doing? Aaron was an intelligent man...who clearly knew what he wanted...but he was autistic for all that...and easily taken advantage of by someone who knew how to manipulate him. Veronica had manipulated him...for dishonest purposes.

_He _was greatly attracted to Aaron...but wasn't he manipulating him too? Taking advantage of the man's need for friendship and liking for him? He, Gil, wanted it to be more than that...yes...it was clear to him now that he _did_ want that... but was Aaron able to distinguish the difference between what friends did together and what romantic partners did? If Aaron just wanted to be friends with him...would he think that he'd have to do the romantic bit too, even if he didn't want to, if he wanted to keep Gil's friendship?

Gil didn't want to force that kind of decision on him, certainly not this early in their friendship.

Gil stood up. "I've had a fun time," he told Aaron truthfully, "but I should go."

Aaron had sought comfort by his bookcase, running a finger over the titles...he turned back sharply.

"I...I...you don't have to go!" he said.

"It's late," Gil said.

Aaron turned to look at the clock. "Ten-thirty," he said. "Yes. It's late."

"May I come back next Saturday?" asked Gil. "We could watch _Othello_."

Aaron's face brightened in a way that practically melted Gil's heart. "Yes," he said. "Saturday. September 2. Six p.m."

"I'll bring dinner again," said Gil.

**III. The Next Saturday**

At precisely 6 pm, Gil knocked once more at the door to Aaron's apartment.

Aaron opened the door immediately. "Hello, Gil!" he said, loudly.

"Hello, Aaron. I brought Thai again."

"Good! I... like Thai food. That's our food!"

"You mean like our song?" Gil said with a grin.

"Yes!"

Aaron took the food into the kitchen and began preparing the tray.

While Aaron worked in the kitchen, Gil glanced at the DVD cases placed symmetrically on the coffee table. _Othello_. _As You Like It. Shakespeare in Love_. But his tastes were eclectic. There was also _Dark Journey_, starring Conrad Veidt and Vivien Leigh.

Aaron came into the room with the tray, and set out everything precisely as before.

"Shall we watch the movie and eat?" Aaron asked, his hand poised over the remote control.

"Yes."

Aaron nodded sharply, and pressed the button.

Once again, there was no conversation while they ate. Gil didn't mind that. He preferred to concentrate on enjoying his food, with pleasant conversation taking place afterwards. And in any event, one had to concentrate on _Othello _- it was the 1995 version, starring Laurence Fishburne and Kenneth Branagh.

After they finished eating, Aaron promptly took the tray back into the kitchen. He returned to the living room, and remained standing at the door, looking briefly at Gil, then away, then resumed his seat on the couch.

"That was good food," he said, loudly.

"I'm glad you liked it. I bring it from my favorite Thai restaurant."

Aaron wiped his hands on his slacks, and concentrated on the movie. Every now and again his eyes would skitter over to Gil, then look away. Gradually, however, he became engrossed in the movie, and was able to concentrate solely on that. Once again his lips moved as he repeated the dialog, but he obviously didn't feel like playing their quote game so Gil just settled back, relaxed, and watched with enjoyment.

The movie ended, and Aaron immediately reached out with the remote and turned off the DVD.

"Have you ever seen this as a play?" Gil asked.

"Yes!" said Aaron with a smile. "At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Nevada Conservatory Theatre._ Othello, As You Like It, Hamlet, Richard III_... I go with my friends."

"Your friends from school?"

"Yes. The Theatre Club. Harry. Andrew. Robbie. Carol. Me. Every Wednesday."

"What's playing this Wednesday?"

"It's ... not Shakespeare. It's... _The Man Who Came To Dinner_. George S. Kaufman. Moss Hart. First produced 1939, Music Box Theatre, New York City."

"That's a pretty good play. I've seen that."

Aaron smiled his quick smile.

"Have you seen _You Can't Take It With You_?"

"Yes! Nevada Conservatory Theatre. June 23, 2006. Wednesday matinee. It was raining."

"Next time," said Gil, "We should just talk, instead of watching a movie. Do you want me to come again?"

"Yes! Saturday. 6 pm."

"Okay. Do you want Thai again, or should I bring something different?"

"Thai. That's our food."

Gil smiled. "Okay, Aaron, I'll see you next Saturday." He reached out and placed his hand on Aaron's arm, in a gentle farewell, then headed for the door.

Aaron placed his hand over the spot where Gil had touched him. "Good night," he said, loudly.

Gil waved a hand and closed the door after him.

**III. The Third Saturday**

When Aaron opened the door this time, he smiled at Gil, then reached out his hand to touch Gil's arm as Gil entered the room.

They ate in silence again, then Aaron brought the food things back into the kitchen and returned to the living room.

This time, Aaron sat on the couch while Gil sat facing him across the coffee table, in the only other chair in the room. They talked about theater, about books, about movies. Gil had long since gotten used to Aaron's conversational style, and now found that they had a great deal in common in their literary likes and dislikes.

At ten o'clock, Gil glanced at his watch. He was feeling a bit tired..he'd pulled a double shift the night before.

"Well, I'd better go," he said, and stood up.

Aaron jumped up. "It's not 10.30," he said.

"That's true," said Gil, "but just for tonight I have to leave at 10. I've enjoyed our talk."

Aaron stepped up to him, almost bumping his chest.

"I ... don't... want you to go," he said.

Gil looked down at him, standing very close to him, hands at his sides, but his face turned away.

"Why not?" Gil asked softly.

Gil saw Aaron blink his eyes hard, still looking away. "I don't know," he mumbled.

Gently, Gil put his hands on Aaron's biceps. Aaron didn't move...neither closer or away. He blinked hard again.

Gently, Gil bent down and pressed his lips to Aaron's hair. (Way too much hair gel, he thought absently...we'll have to work on that .) Still Aaron didn't try to pull away.

Gil kissed his hair again, this time lower down, towards the side of his face.

This time Aaron backed away precipitously, looking at Gil with panic-stricken eyes.

Gil felt his heart sink that he'd misjudged the situation, but he remained where he was, putting his hands down at his side. "Aaron, I'm sorry," he said. "I thought you wanted me to kiss you. I made a mistake. I won't do it again."

Aaron just stared at him...

"Okay, I'm going to go now," said Gil. "Can I come back next Saturday for another movie night?"

"No," said Aaron. "Don't go."

He stepped back up to Gil...face turned away..."I... I want..."

Gil reached out and took Aaron's hands in his. Aaron held onto them fiercely.

"Do you want me to kiss you?" Gil asked quietly.

"Ye... yes."

Gil stepped back just a little bit, lowered his face, and sought out Aaron's lips with his. This time, Aaron turned his head to meet Gil's questing lips.

Gently, Gil kissed him, his lips warmly caressing Aaron's.

Aaron suddenly turned his face away, blinking hard. Gil waited, patiently, not moving. After a minute or two Aaron turned his head back, his eyes skittering briefly towards Gil's. Gil sought out his lips again, and this time it was Aaron who initiated the contact, opening his lips and closing them over Gil's.

They stood there for a long time, kissing, deeply. Occasionally Aaron would jerk his head away...each time Gil waited patiently...each time Aaron would turn his head back. Finally, his grip on Gil's hands loosened...he let loose of Gil's hands and instead put his hands on either side of Gil's waist.

Gil put his own hands on Aaron's back, and pressed him closer, kissing deeper and deeper.

He could feel Aaron's manhood growing..as had his own...

He stepped back, looking into Aaron's eyes...and Aaron gazed back at him.

"Have you ever made love to a man before?" Gil asked softly.

"Nu...no."

"Well...we don't want to go too fast. You know about protection, right?"

"Condoms," said Aaron. "Put on a man's erect penis to physically block ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner." he said, quoting _something_.

"Right," said Gil. "We need to have those, and I don't have any."

"I don't have any either," said Aaron.

They didn't really need any, Gil knew. _He _had no diseases, and he was pretty sure Aaron didn't have, either. But Aaron learned by seeing and he didn't want to set a bad precedent of ever having sex without a condom.

"Well, we don't have to go all the way tonight," said Gil. "There's plenty of time."

"Plenty of time." Aaron repeated. "Yes. Plenty of time. All the time in the world."

"_On Her Majesty's Secret Service." _Gil said. "James Bond to Tracy Di Vicenzo. Our story will have a happier ending."

He took Aaron's hand and led him to the couch. "I am really tired, Aaron," he said. "Let's just relax here and watch _As You Like It_."

Gil slipped off his shoes and stretched out on the couch. "Lie beside me," he told Aaron quietly.

Aaron stared at Gil, swallowed hard, blinked, then moved forward awkwardly. Gil guided him into the right position, his legs on the couch, his back nestled against Gil's chest. Gil draped one arm over Aaron's chest.

"See, we both fit on the couch, and you can lie against me."

"Your body is warm," Aaron said.

"So is yours," said Gil. "Warm is good. I'm tired. Let's just relax and watch the movie, okay?"

"Okay."

Gil felt the warmth of Aaron's body against his, and felt the youth relaxing against him. Aaron rested his head on Gil's chest, as he watched the movie.

"This...feels...good." he murmured. "Gil."

"Very good," said Gil.

Minutes later, Gil was fast asleep, as was Aaron, as the images on the TV flickered over them.

Tomorrow was another day...


	2. Chapter 2

**UNCAGED**

**A slash fiction with Grissom and Aaron from the episode, Caged.**

**Sexual content, but not extremely explicit**

**Part II**

**I.**

"Gil!"

Aaron's panic-stricken voice cut through Gil's deep sleep, so much so that he wakened and immediately sat up.

Aaron, fully dressed...in different clothing than the night before, was standing on the other side of the coffee table, shifting from foot to foot, face twisted with anxiety, clearly distraught.

"Aaron, what's the matter?" Gil demanded, jumping to his feet and going to him.

"It's 7 o'clock! I have to ... catch my bus... in ten minutes!"

"Oh," Gil said with sudden relief.

"I spend... Sundays... with my uncle. Fishing on his boat. I have ..to go ..._now_."

"Okay, Aaron, no problem. I'm ready to go. We can go now."

"Yes, now. I can't miss my bus."

"If you miss it, I can drive you in my car."

"No!" Aaron said sharply. "I take the bus. 7.10 am."

"Well, I'll walk you to the bus," Gil said, quickly slipping on his shoes. "Come on."

The bus stop was right outside the apartment building, and they arrived there at precisely 7.05.

"See, plenty of time," Gil said.

"Yes."

"You should have wakened me earlier. It would have been alright."

Aaron didn't reply, merely turned his head away.

"Well, it's all right." Gil said again. "We're here in plenty of time."

Aaron had calmed down. "Plenty of time," he said, nodding sharply. "Good."

"You like fishing, then," Gil said.

"Yes. My uncle's fishing boat. On Lake Mead. All day. Every Sunday."

At that moment, Gil saw the bus coming down the street. "Here it comes," he told Aaron.

Aaron immediately reached into his pocket and drew out his bus pass. The bus came up to them, and Aaron started to get on board. Suddenly he turned.

"You're coming...next Saturday?" he asked.

"Yes."

Aaron smiled quickly, then turned to climb into the bus.

Gil headed back to his car. Time to go home, brush his teeth, and have a hot shower.

**2. Saturday**

Gil knocked on Aaron's door, and Aaron answered it promptly. He smiled. "Hello, Gil."

"Hello, Aaron."

"Two white bags. One brown." Aaron observed.

"Yes. The brown one's for later."

Aaron took the two white bags of Thai food into the kitchen and immediately began arranging the tray.

Gil took the brown bag and placed it on the end table on his side of the couch.

Aaron bustled in with the tray, placed everything in front of them, and then sat down on the couch... about two feet away from Gil. He didn't look at Gil as he pressed the button on the remote and the TV sprang into life with _Contraband_... another Conrad Veidt movie.

They ate in silence, and when dinner was over Aaron immediately jumped up and returned the tray to the kitchen. He returned and sat back on the couch again...two feet away from Gil.

_Contraband _wasn't a long movie, only 90 minutes, compared to the four hours that the Shakespeare movies ran.

It was over, and it was only 7.47.

When the credits began to roll, Aaron reached out and turned off the movie.

"You are a Conrad Veidt fan, aren't you?" said Gil.

"Yes."

"I like him, too." (Damn, he and Aaron had a lot in common.) "My favorite is _The Thief of Bagdad_."

"Yes!" Aaron said.

''I never know why men come back from sea." Aaron continued, quoting the opening number when a sailing ship arrives at port and the sailors sing as they unload the cargo.

"The sea is cruel but the sea is clean. The cause of this vast purity must be, That men at sea are few and far between. Hardship is all she ever gave me. Yet I ask why men come back from sea?

The sea is cruel but the sea is clean. Oh, poor brother, how kind you might have been."

Gil nodded. He never had understood the lyrics of that song. But it had been sung by a guy with a great voice.

Aaron wiped his hands on his thighs. "Did you..." he said, not looking at Gil... "Did you... want to watch _Spy in Black_?"

"Sure," said Gil.

He watched Aaron thoughtfully as the young man switched over the discs, then returned the couch and pressed the start button.

Aaron was nervous...very nervous. Was he embarrassed about what had happened last Saturday? Did he not want it to happen again? Or did he _want _it to happen again, but was just too embarrassed to make the first move?

Well, that was the thing. Aaron _had _to make the first move. It was up to Aaron if he wanted this to be a friendship only... or a friendship with benefits, as the saying went. Gil wasn't going to influence him one way or the other.

Unless, Gil suddenly realized, Aaron thought that the brown bag he'd brought in contained the condoms he'd talked about on Saturday. In which case Aaron might already think that he knew what Gil wanted, and that's why he was so embarrassed. _Damn_, Gil thought. He should have realized that would happen. Stupid.

He could take out part of its contents - which happened to be a DVD - in order to show Aaron that it _wasn't _condoms (although they were in there as well) but the subject matter of the DVD was such that it had to remain in its little brown bag until Aaron decided what he wanted to do.

_Spy in Black _took place during World War I, in the Orkney Islands. Conrad Veidt played a German submarine captain who comes onto the islands secretly in order to contact a German spy - played by Valerie Hobson, who has information on the British submarine fleet in Jutland. But it's a trap... Veidt's character is deceived into sending a message to his wolfpack giving them the coordinates of where the ships are... and those coordinates lead them into an ambush which will result in all the subs being sunk. Veidt escapes and commandeers a ferry - the very ferry that Valerie Hobson is also on - and orders it into the North Sea in the hopes of preventing his wolfpack from falling into the trap.

But his own submarine shoots a torpedo that sinks the ship. Everyone escapes on life boats, except for Veidt, who remains on board the sinking ship as it goes under in the knowledge that his shipmates would soon be joining him in the briny deep.

The credits rolled, and once again Aaron turned it off.

He glanced at Gil. "I like that movie," he said, "but it's very sad. I wish... Conrad Veidt...had not died at the end."

"It's more powerful this way," Gil said. "Only sad endings are powerful ones."

Aaron looked away.

"So did you enjoy your fishing on Sunday?"

Aaron brightened. "Yes. I caught... five salmon. My...uncle...cleaned them...and we had them for... dinner."

"How long have you been going fishing on Lake Mead?"

They conversed for another two hours, then Gil glanced at up at the clock and saw that it was 10.30. Time to go.

"Well, I'll be going now, Aaron," he said. "Same time next Saturday, right?"

"Yes," said Aaron.

Gil stood up, picked up the brown bag casually, and headed for the door. Aaron had stood up also. Now he said abruptly. "The brown one's for later."

Gil turned. "What?"

"Your brown bag. You said...'the brown one's for later.'"

"Yes...well...it's not important, Aaron. I'll see you next week."

Aaron stepped up to him, and clasped his hand, standing very close to him. "You...don't...have to go..." he said.

Gil felt the warmth of his body... and swallowed hard. "May I kiss you?" he asked Aaron, softly.

"Yes," said Aaron.

Gil bent down, and sought out Aaron's lips. Aaron's lips met his with no hesitation... after a few seconds he put his hands on either side of Gil's waist, holding him.

After a few minutes, Gil forced himself to stop kissing Aaron and stepped away.

"I've brought something to show you," he told Aaron huskily.

He took the DVD out of the bag. "You remember last week I asked if you'd ever made love to a man before?"

"Yes."

"Well...this DVD is a training manual, put out by sex therapists. It shows the various ways that two men can make love."

Aaron looked at him with wide eyes.

"I want us to watch it," Gil said, "So you can see what it's like. And if you don't like what you see, then we won't do it."

"Oh...okay." said Aaron.

Gil opened the case and handed the disc to Aaron. He then returned to his normal spot on the couch. Aaron put the disc in the DVD player, then came back and sat on the couch also... about a foot away from Gil. He pressed the play button.

The DVD was 30 minutes long, and as Gil had said, it had been put out by a reputable institute and showed - albeit quite graphically - the various sexual positions.

"They're not wearing condoms!" Aaron commented as the first demonstration began.

"That's right," Gil said. "That's because this is a training video, and they want people to be able to see everything. But in real life, you never have sex without a condom. It will say that at the end of the DVD."

Once the DVD was over, Aaron reached out with the remote control and stopped it.

Gil looked at him. "So what do you think?" he asked gently.

Aaron said nothing.

"You don't think you'll like it?" Gil asked, gently.

"I ... don't know."

"Well...that's okay. We don't have to do it if you're not sure."

"I'm... sure. I'm... just scared." said Aaron.

"Well, we'll go slow," said Gil. "I wouldn't mind watching _The Spy in Black _again. And we can just cuddle on the couch, like last time."

"Yes," said Aaron, smiling.

He started the movie.

Gil sat back on the couch, with his back to the armrest, one leg stretched out, the other on the ground.

"Sit with your back against my chest," he told Aaron, and Aaron did so, such that his head was just below Gil's. Gil draped both arms around Aaron's chest, and in that position they began to watch the movie. Then, very slowly, Gil bent down and began to kiss Aaron's neck.

He couldn't see Aaron's face, but Aaron leaned his head back, as if he were enjoying the feel of those kisses. Very, very slowly, Gil kissed his neck, starting on the left side and slowly working his way over to the right side.

Then, suddenly, Aaron twisted over, until his whole body ran the length of Gil's and started kissing him. Gil cupped Aaron's face in his hands and let Aaron kiss him.

After a few minutes, Aaron stopped. He sat up slightly, looking at Gil... then his fingers tugged briefly on the buttons of Gil's shirt.

"Did you... bedroom?" he asked.

"Yes," said Gil.

They rose, and Aaron took him by the hand, and they walked into the bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**UNCAGED**

**A slash fiction with Grissom and Aaron from the episode, Caged.**

**Sexual content, but not extremely explicit**

**Part III**

**I.**

Gil and Aaron sat on the couch. Dinner was over, and they were watching _Them_! a classic science fiction movie from the 1950s in which radiation-mutated ants grow to giant size and terrorize the countryside. Gil loved the classic sci fi films from the 1950s...especially the ones with the giant bugs terrorizing everybody, of which there were so many, and he'd brought it over.

As Police Sergeant Ben Peterson (James Whitmore) and his sidekick Trooper Ed Blackburn (Chris Drake) searched the store of Gramps for any clues to his disappearance, Ben lifted up a trap door to the basement and, illuminated by a single swinging light, there was the body of Gramps, eyes wide open, looking up at them. It was a rather eerily shot scene.

At this point, Aaron reached out and took Gil's hand in his. Gil looked over at him with a smile.

They sat there, their two hands resting in the gap between them, and watched the movie.

Gil thought back to the previous Saturday.

Aaron had invited him into the bedroom, holding his hand as they entered the room.

Gil was wearing a turtle neck sweater, which he pulled over his head. Knowing Aaron's propensity for order, not to mention his own, he folded it up and placed it neatly on top of the dresser.

He turned to look at Aaron, who was standing in the middle of the room, watching him...still completely dressed.

Gil walked up to him, and put his hands on Aaron's waist. "Can I help you?" he whispered. He started to pull Aaron's pullover over his head, Aaron let him do so. Then he started to unbutton the buttons of Aaron's shirt. Aaron stood still, eyes skittering this way and that, breathing hard.

Gil slipped off the shirt, revealing Aaron's slender form, wirily muscular. Holding Aaron by the biceps, he gently began kissing his neck, the hollow of his throat, his chest, down to his nipples...then he worked his way back up to his neck and then sought his lips.

Aaron's hands were hanging down loosely, Gil reached down and placed them on his waist, where they remained.

Finally, Gil raised his head and looked into Aaron's eyes. He felt like pushing him over onto the bed and climbing on top of him, but he had to go slow, very slowly.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

Aaron looked away, swallowed, blinked. "Yes."

"Okay, then. We're going to go slow. And if you start feeling uncomfortable or don't like what I'm doing, you just tell me to stop and I'll stop, okay? If you don't want to do anything, you just say stop. You're in charge."

"Okay."

"So...do you want to take off your pants?"

Aaron swallowed convulsively, then reached down and started undoing his pants. Gil followed suit.

Aaron folded his slacks over and placed them on the dresser, but didn't take his underwear off...so Gil followed suit. Aaron then sat down, nervously, on the edge of the bed.

"Scooch up," Gil directed him, putting his hands under Aaron's arms. "All the way onto the bed."

Aaron did so. Gil lay beside him, guided one of Aaron's hand onto his waist, then cupped Aaron's cheek in his hand and began to kiss.

After a few seconds, he reached down and placed his hand over Aaron's crotch and gently began to knead.

Aaron jerked his head away, but otherwise didn't move. Gil continued kneading for a couple of minutes, feeling Aaron grow under his fingers.

"Do you like the way this feels?" Gil whispered.

"I...I... stop," said Aaron.

Immediately, Gil removed his hand. He couldn't suppress a chuckle. "That's a bit quicker than I expected," he said.

Aaron remained with his face turned away.

Gil felt the urge to cut to the chase. He _knew _Aaron wanted it...he just needed a little push. He'd love to just roll over onto the boy, pinion his arms over his head, do a little dominating...do for Aaron what Aaron didn't quite have the nerve to let happen... but he couldn't...Aaron wouldn't understand...

Gil had been lying on his side, watching what he could see of Aaron's face. Now he rolled over on his back and looked at the ceiling.

They stayed that way for several minutes.

Finally, he felt the mattress shift as Aaron turned over. "I just want to sleep,"Aaron said.

Gil didn't change positions, but he looked at Aaron out of the sides of his eyes and forced a smile. "Okay."

Another minute passed.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Of course not, Aaron. It's like you said last week. We have all the time in the world."

"Yes."

"So wake me up when you get up in the morning, so I can leave and you can make sure to catch your bus."

"Okay."

"Good night."

"Good night."

**II.**_** Them!**_

Gil had left the morning after, as soon as Aaron had woken him up, touching his arm briefly and brushing his cheek with his lips, saying, "I'll see you next week."

When he'd come over on this Saturday, Aaron had touched his arm as he'd entered, but otherwise hadn't made any move to kiss him. They had eaten dinner to _Nazi Agent_, another Conrad Veidt film in which he'd played twin brothers, one an evil Nazi and the other an anti-Nazi immigrant to America. Veidt has to kill his evil brother and take his place, to discover what the evil-Veidt's spy ring was doing in America.

After that...came _Them_!

_Them_! finished, with the heroic Ben giving his life to save a couple of kids, the Army flame-throwing the gigantic ants into extinction, and the FBI man, played by James Arness, asking the two scientists if the world was now safe.

"No one knows, Robert. When man entered the atomic age, he opened a door into a new world. What he will eventually find in that new world, nobody can predict."

Aaron reached out with the remote and turned the movie off.

"I... liked that..." he said, smiling at Gil...while simultaneously withdrawing his hand from Gil's grasp, where it had remained since that initial contact.

"It's my favorite 1950s movie," Gil confessed.

Gil looked at the clock...it was 10.30.

"It's 10.30," he told Aaron. "I guess I'd better go."

_Ask me to stay_... he hoped Aaron would say, but Aaron only bounced up. "Yes. Same time next week?"

"Yes."

Aaron walked him to the door, touched his arm briefly, allowed Gil to brush his cheek with his lips, then closed the door behind him.

Gil stood in the corridor, and took a deep breath. Well...it looked like Aaron had made up his mind. They were going to be just friends.

That was alright, Gil told himself. He enjoyed Aaron's company very much...but that wasn't going to change the fact that he'd need to go home and take a cold shower afterward.

As it was, next time he came over, he'd bring _Tarantula_. Serve Aaron right!


	4. Chapter 4

**UNCAGED**

**A slash fiction with Grissom and Aaron from the episode, Caged.**

**Sexual content, but not extremely explicit**

**Part IV**

**I.**

Gil walked into his favorite Thai restaurant. The counter girl saw him coming, and placed the two bags of his order on the counter. Gil paid her, said "Thanks" absently, and walked out with the bags.

He'd had a rough night, the night before, working on a difficult case, and wanted nothing more than to have an early night on _this _night. He'd prefer not to go to Aaron's at all, but he couldn't totally bail on him, he knew. So he'd tell him as soon as he arrived that he was there just to eat dinner, and then would have to leave.

Gil drove his big black SUV quickly and expertly over to Aaron's apartment building, parking in his usual spot, and carried the bags in to Aaron's building... he was on the ground floor.

He rang the bell, and Aaron promptly opened the door.

"Hello, Gil," Aaron said loudly, touching his arm and drawing him in to the room.

"Hello, Aaron." said Gil, giving up the bags. Aaron took them into the kitchen.

Gil followed him into the kitchen.

"Aaron."

Aaron turned, his eyes wide in surprise to see Gil there.

"Aaron, I had a bad day at the office last night, and I'm very tired. So after dinner I need to leave, okay?"

Aaron's eyes darted this way and that as he processed this change in their routine. Then he said, "Okay."

"Good," Gil said with a smile. "We can just talk over dinner, okay? I'm not in the mood for a movie."

Once again Aaron processed the information. Then: "Okay."

Gil went back into the living room and relaxed on the couch. He stretched, and then rubbed his hands over his forehead, attempting to ease the headache that had been residing there for the last hour.

Aaron bustled in with the tray, arranged everything precisely on the table, and then sat down.

"How is your work going?" Gil asked. "Is Mr. Hunter treating you better?"

"You... did good work... today, Aaron," Aaron quoted. "Good job... on the Shaffer donation catalog."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"They donated ... a lot of... rare books. On the territory of Hawaii."

Gil liked Hawaii, and found it's history a particular tragic one...although of course all history was tragedy. So he said, "Oh, tell me about them."

And Aaron did, in detail. On every one.

As a result, Gil finished eating long before Aaron.

He wiped his mouth with his napkin, and placed it neatly by his plate.

Aaron kept on talking, and normally Gil wouldn't have cut him short, as he found it fascinating, but tonight was just not a good night. He was tired and his head hurt.

"Aaron," he said... and Aaron stopped abruptly. "This is really interesting, and I want to continue this conversation next Saturday. But right now I am really tired, and I have to go, okay."

Aaron looked at him...then said, "You can... sleep... here."

Gil stared at him.

"I wanted to... tonight I wanted to...love..."

Gil stared at him. "You wanted to...make love...tonight?"

"Yes," said Aaron, nodding sharply.

Gil grinned, a little weakly. "I'd like to make love to you too, Aaron, very much. But...I _am _very tired. Let me have a raincheck, please."

"Raincheck," Aaron said, nodding sharply.

"But we can cuddle tonight, if you want. Put on a movie..."

Aaron put in_ Shakespeare in Love_, and then returned to the couch.

Gil had arranged himself satisfactorily on the couch, slipping off his shoes and with his back against its edge. Aaron stood in front of him, and bent down towards Gil...kissing him on the lips. Gil's eyes widened in pleased surprised...although Aaron had often initiated contact...he'd never actually initiated a kiss before.

Aaron turned, and laid down on the couch, relaxing against Gil's chest. Gil draped his right arm across Aaron, and settled himself comfortably.

He would very much have liked to have turned Aaron over and got in some kissing and massage...but he was too tired...

But Aaron had taken the initiative...Aaron was ready...next Saturday boded well.

**II.The Next Saturday**

And indeed, on the next Saturday, if Gil had been the type of man to keep a journal, this might have been the entry:

The deed is done – Clarissa lives.

Which anyone familiar with the work of Samuel Richardson (or more appropriately, Sarah Caudwell's _Thus Was Adonis Murdered_, from which he was actually quoting...) would have understood.

THE END!


End file.
